An Indiana judge and his wife were wounded on Sunday afternoon when shots were fired outside their Lafayette home.
Judge Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly, were struck shortly after 2.17pm when gunfire broke out near their residence.
According to a dispatch recording obtained by CBS News, a caller reported that there was a knock on the door and someone told the couple they had their dog – before a shot came through the door.
Officers arrived at the house to find both suffering from gunshot wounds, the judge to his arm and his wife to her hip.
They were transported for medical treatment and are now listed in stable condition, according to the Lafayette Police Department.
Officers then found spent shell casings, though authorities have not disclosed a motive or identified a suspect.
The Lafayette Police Department is leading the inquiry but has pulled in support from a broad network of agencies, including the Indiana State Police, Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, West Lafayette Police, the county prosecutor, and the FBI.
In a statement released Monday, Kimberly Meyer thanked first responders and said she had ‘great confidence’ in investigators working the case.
She also expressed gratitude to the medical teams who treated her and her husband.
Judge Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly, were struck shortly after 2.17pm when gunfire broke out outside their residence
Officers arrived to find both suffering from gunshot wounds, the judge to his arm and his wife to her hip
Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski issued his own message, calling the shooting ‘senseless’ and promising that ‘every available resource’ was being directed toward finding whoever was responsible.
The attack sent ripples through the state’s judicial community.
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush wrote to judges statewide, saying she was relieved the couple survived but underscored her ongoing concern about threats to the judiciary.
‘I worry about the safety of all our judges. As you work to peacefully resolve more than 1 million cases a year, you must not only feel safe, you must also be safe,’ Rush said. ‘Any violence against a judge or a judge’s family is completely unacceptable. As public servants, you are dedicated to the rule of law.’
She urged colleagues to take their personal security seriously.
Court officials said discussions are underway about arranging temporary coverage for Judge Meyer’s duties on the Tippecanoe County Superior Court No. 2 bench while he recovers.
Meyer has been a fixture in the Lafayette legal community for decades.
Elected to the state bench in 2014, he previously served on the Lafayette City Council, including a stint as its president.
Before joining the judiciary, he practiced law locally for nearly 30 years, including as a managing partner at Ball Eggleston, PC.
